MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17294, 18 October 1919, Page 13

MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS.

LOCAL BODIES CONFER. AN EXTENDED SCHEME. PROPOSALS ADOPTED. The scheme for the improvement of main roads leading out of Auckland -whs further considered yesterday afternoon at an adjourned conference of representatives of local authorities j interested, held at the Agricultural and i Pastoral Association's Rooms. High Street. I Mr. A. D. Bell, chairman of the Manukau County Council, presided. At the previous meeting on September 19 a sab-committee wan set up to formulate a definite proposal for the improvement of the Great South Road, from Newmarket to Papakura. and the road from | Newmarket to Hovick. Reporting yester I day the subcommittee, recommended the extension of the original scheme which it did not consider to be far-reaching enoughby including th main arterial roads from Auckland to He'eusviile, and to Hamilton, together with the main connecting branch roads. It. further recommended tiial a meeting of representatives of the local bodies concerned, and of the (jood Roads Association and Oliaiiiber of Commerce should be called to discuss the extended scheme. Mr. 11. i)i>bbie, chairman of the Onetrea HUH Road Board, aud a member of the sub-committee, moved the adoption of the latler'a recommendation. He said his board approved of the idea of an association to supervise the roads from Auckland to Heiensvtlle, arid to Hamilton. It considered, however, that any scheme should be on the Victorian system, whereby the cost of the upkeep of the roads was apportioned among the various districts using them, according to the amount of traffic from each. Mr. 0. Somertield, chairman of the Ellerslie Town Board, and also a member j of the sub-committee, seconded the motion. In support of the larger scheme he said that, it they were too Parochial and took in subsidiary roads, they were not likely to get the fame help from the Government. A good main road would increase the value of the Land on either side of it, and thus bring in a larger revenue to the Government, and in time the scheme would finance itself, If there; were good arterial roads from the far north to tbs far south of the Dominion they would be just as good assets as the railways. Burden of Town Board Ratepayers. Mr. 1). A. Moore, a member of the Kllerslie Town Board, disagreed with the mover and seconder of the motion. He contended that if the Government took | over the mam arterial roads it would be a ] good thing, but he thought the confer- ! ence was trying to " bite off more than it j could chew." They should concentrate I on what they were likely to get, or the | scheme would be shelved. Another thing ; was that, when they got as far as Tuakau, , a battle of the routes was likely to be I raised, and the Government would take j advantage of that to further shelve the scheme. Fl-i favoured the original proposals of the su-b- committee, and thought they should right the larger scheme later. Mr. Dobbie explained that the reason for the sub commit' 6 recommendation was that, under an extended scheme, the sympathy of Auckland was more likely to be enlisted. Without that they would"not make any progress. The chairman concurred. He pointed out that, under the larger scheme, the Auckland -Papakura section would he the first link in the chain of the southern roadway.

j No Continuity of Reading Policy. , i | j Mr. C. H. Lupton, chairman of the I I Manurewa Town Board, said he thought, ! ] I perhaps, they had better keep to the j original suggestion*. It would be a good j plan to endeavour to get subsidies from I th P Government to each local body for the j maintenance of th« main roads, enabling i each to get to work" as soon as it could. , To go further meant involving the whole , Dominion. Motor traffic was forcing this , matter to the front, and the local bodies could not go on facing the cost of the ! j roads. It was unfair to ask town board I ratepayers, many of whom did not own a ! horse or a donkey, and who had no path to their houses, to go on maintaining roads for motorists. Mr. Somerfield said that under the extended scheme the main roads could be formed in sections, thus gradually linking tip the various districts. At present each local body did its work on its own lines. There was no continuity of -policy in regard to the laying out of their roads. After some further discussion, the recommendation of the sub-committee was adopted. It was decided to invite to a j conference, to He held in Auckland on j November 28. representatives of all the local bodies interested, from Auckland to Helensv.lle in the north, and to Hamilton in the south. I Tt ww agreed that the Manukau Countv | Council should be the bodv responsible I for the carrying out. of the arrangements I and that anv expenses should bo divided among the various local bodies. | ''Published by Arraa.germ«mit.)